As predicted the first half of 2016 has been, as the saying goes, Lear-inflected: ten touring dates, eight shows (usually) a week, so putting that together with the Brooklyn Lear of 2014, I’ve now done about 150 performances of the part, which pleases me a lot. I hope some of you may have seen it: it certainly was a joy to do, and kept reminding me of the old ESC touring days.

Like a sort of travelling salesman I went with my new book KING LEAR IN BROOKLYN metaphorically under my arm, since sure enough that was published near the start of the tour, and is so to speak still running, as I’m doing quite a few literary festivals, signing and also doing a sort of hour-long mini show of readings from it; also a BBC2 film which managed to feature a huge number of Lears past and present - and there have been five this year to my knowledge - not to mention lots of interviews, all in a half hour film. Rather remarkable piece of documentary work by Artsnight I thought and good ratings.

So the second half of the year I’ve been having a sort of Post-Traumatic-Not-Very-Stressful Lear-Disorder, or in other words, a fit of bone idleness. I did an episode of Endeavour (the ITV prequel to Inspector Morse), with old friends (Roger Allam) and making new ones (Shaun Evans) directed by Ken Loach’s son Jim who definitely has more than a touch of the master in him. I’ve been teaching In Romania too, as I think Mary has reported.

And that’s about it for the moment. No plans, though they do have a way of rearing up suddenly. Thanks for reading this, and thanks for your interest this year as ever. Happy 2017 – with perhaps a few less shocks in the world than 2016!

This site is maintained by Mary Hunwicks on behalf of Michael Pennington

Michael has several appearances lined up over the next few months.

They are entitled King Lear in Brooklyn and Chekhov in Siberia.

The former consists of readings from the book, plus a signing and Q & A;

The latter is not the full length Chekhov show but an hour’s dramatised reading of the Chekhov’s travels in Siberia - which was originally a radio production which Michael has now adapted for the stage. Read a review following a performance at the Royal Society of Literature.